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GMA removes Las Posas Valley small‑ag PAC member for attendance shortfall; constituency to elect replacement
Summary
The Fox Canyon GMA removed the Las Posas Valley small‑ag PAC representative for failing to meet the judgment’s 75% attendance requirement and directed staff to notify the constituency to hold an election for a replacement.
The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency on June 13 removed the Las Posas Valley management area small‑agriculture representative from the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) for failing to meet the attendance requirement set by the Las Posas Valley adjudication judgment.
Staff background: the Las Posas Valley judgment establishes both a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and sets attendance and participation requirements for members. The judgment requires PAC and TAC members to attend at least 75% of regular committee meetings in a calendar year; failure to meet that threshold may lead to removal by the watermaster.
PAC recommendation and staff view: the PAC had recommended that, when attendance fell short, the constituency group be convened to nominate a representative and that the PAC include attendance records in minutes; the PAC’s recommendation would have allowed a constituency group to re‑nominate the sitting member. Staff advised that the judgment’s language prescribes removal when the 75% threshold is not met and that the final authority to remove rests with the watermaster/board.
Board action: after discussion and a roll‑call vote the board removed the small‑ag representative for the Las Posas Valley management area and directed staff to notify the constituency group to convene a meeting and hold a vote to elect a new representative to fill the vacancy. The PAC vice chair told the board he had discussed attendance shortfalls with the representative, who acknowledged personal issues and pledged better attendance.
Why it matters: the PAC provides stakeholder policy input to the watermaster and the judgment sets strict attendance standards to ensure constituency viewpoints are represented. The board emphasized that holding to judgment requirements reduces the risk of procedural challenges and maintains the credibility of committee recommendations.
Next steps: staff will notify the small‑ag constituency group and arrange the election process per the judgment; the PAC will begin including attendance records in minutes going forward as recommended.
